Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
08:10

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Published on: July 20, 2022

2.1K

Left atrial appendage strain rate is associated with documented thromboembolism in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation

Monika Jankajova1, Lucia Kubikova2, Gabriel Valocik1

  • 1East-Slovak Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and Medical Faculty of Safarik University, Department of Cardiology, Safarik University, Ondavska 8, 040 11, Kosice, Slovakia.

Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift
|March 3, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Left atrial appendage strain rate, measured by VVI, significantly predicts thromboembolism in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients. This finding offers a new tool for assessing embolic risk, comparable to the CHA2DS2-VASc score.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Medical Imaging
  • Thrombosis Research

Background:

  • Left atrial appendage (LAA) strain and strain rate are understudied in cardiac thromboembolism prediction.
  • Evaluating LAA strain and strain rate using speckle-tracking imaging is crucial for identifying thromboembolic event risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the significance of LAA strain and strain rate in predicting thromboembolic events.
  • To compare the predictive power of LAA strain rate with conventional echocardiographic predictors and CHA2DS2-VASc score.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 80 nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients undergoing electrical cardioversion.
  • 2D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with Velocity Vector Imaging (VVI) to derive LAA strain and strain rate.
  • Comparison of LAA parameters with clinical risk factors and documented embolic events (stroke, peripheral embolization).

Main Results:

  • Patients with embolic events were older, had higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores, more coronary artery disease, LAA thrombi, and worse LAA strain/strain rate.
  • Anticoagulant use was more frequent in patients without embolic events.
  • After adjustment, CHA2DS2-VASc score and LAA strain rate remained significant predictors of embolic events.

Conclusions:

  • VVI-derived LAA strain rate is a significant predictor of ischemic stroke and systemic thromboembolism in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.
  • The predictive power of LAA strain rate is comparable to the CHA2DS2-VASc score.
  • LAA strain rate offers a valuable tool for embolic risk stratification in AF patients.
Abstract

Keywords:
CardioversionDysrhythmiaEchocardiographyPredictorVelocity vector imaging

More Related Videos

Robotic Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation11:21

Robotic Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

Published on: May 29, 2015

20.2K
Transesophageal Atrial Burst Pacing for Atrial Fibrillation Induction in Rats05:12

Transesophageal Atrial Burst Pacing for Atrial Fibrillation Induction in Rats

Published on: February 14, 2022

3.8K

Related Concept Videos

ECG Interpretation of Arrhythmias II: Atrial, Junctional and Ventricular Arrhythmias01:25

ECG Interpretation of Arrhythmias II: Atrial, Junctional and Ventricular Arrhythmias

Arrhythmia is a condition characterized by an irregular heart rhythm, with ECG changes that differ based on its origin and nature. The types of arrhythmias discussed below include atrial, junctional, and ventricular arrhythmias.Atrial ArrhythmiasPremature Atrial Complexes (PACs): PACs are early atrial beats caused by stress, caffeine, alcohol, electrolyte imbalances, hypoxia, hyperthyroidism, or certain medications (e.g., bronchodilators and decongestants). The ECG shows early P waves with an...
533
Amyloid Fibrils03:03

Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins.  Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called fibrils. 
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen.   In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
11.9K
Amyloid Fibrils03:03

Amyloid Fibrils

6.4K
Surface Appendages of Archaea01:23

Surface Appendages of Archaea

Archaeal surface appendages are highly specialized structures essential for environmental adaptation, encompassing roles in adhesion, biofilm formation, and motility. Among these appendages, pili and archaella stand out for their distinct morphologies and functionalities, enabling archaea to thrive in diverse and often extreme environments.Pili: Adhesion and Biofilm FormationPili are filamentous structures assembled from pilin protein subunits, primarily contributing to adhesion and biofilm...
650
Fibril-associated Collagen01:11

Fibril-associated Collagen

Fibril-associated collagens are a type of collagens present in the extracellular matrix with interrupted triple helices or FACIT (Fibril-associated collagens interrupted triple-helices). FACIT help connect and attach the collagen fibrils with each other as well as with other proteins of the extracellular matrix.
For example, the type II collagen fibrils in cartilage have covalently bound type IX fibril-associated collagens at regular intervals. Other types of fibril-associated collagens are...
3.4K
Guidelines for Nursing Documentation I01:30

Guidelines for Nursing Documentation I

Quality documentation and reporting share essential characteristics that ensure they are practical and valuable resources for those who use them. These characteristics are:
Factual:  
The following points emphasize the significance of upholding accurate and unbiased documentation in healthcare.
1.8K